Essex Models and Miniatures

Tekno, long held and still holds the standard for quality diecast reproductions have been one of the makers I’ve never really looked out for but today I acquired this fantastic coach, the Mercedes O 302 by Tekno, number 950.

Scaled at 1:50, it came in many colour combinations  and liveries, not sure of an actual production years but certainly from the 1970′s according to Wikipedia (see link below)

Everything opens, the doors, back and front, the engine cover and all the luggage stowage areas, and also has steerable front wheels, quite weighty too and measures 190mm long.

I will certainly be looking out for more now based on this one model.

Tekno is a toy maker from Copenhagen, Denmark, that began manufacturing construction toys in 1928 and model autos immediately after World War II, selling 1 million a year during its peak. While started as a toy company, the focus later shifted to adult collectibles and promotional truck models as the firm was moved to Holland.

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For the Tekno website Click Here

For more on the Tekno brand and history Click Here

The real coaches

One for all – probably the best description of the Mercedes-Benz O 302. Urban regular-service bus, country bus, touring coach – this bus was a jack of all trades. And it was the last of its kind before buses became specialized. Launched in May 1965, the O 302 replaced the popular O 321 H, and the step from one to the other could hardly have been greater. The expectations made on the new O 302 were enormous considering that the O 321 H had scored worldwide success with over 20,000 units built in 13 years.

While the predecessor’s rounded contours and small windows identified it as a design from the 1950s, giving the bus a slightly outdated appeal toward the end of its career, the O 302 had been designed in the austere automotive Bauhaus style of the 1960s. The curvatures of roof and back did little to deter from the basic cuboid shape with steeply angled front, generous glazing, slim window pillars, long side windows and large rear screen. Typical luxury features in the 1960s were the chrome surrounds of all windows. The O 302 was a product of the economic miracle period in Germany: people had gained new confidence and wanted to see and be seen.

Information from http://media.daimler.com

For more on this coach and more pictures, see this website Click Here